Daily Archives: March 24, 2017

Not gonna sugar coat it: it’s been a rough week here. Got my grading in for the quarter ended Friday, so ready for writing and time with my kids for spring break. Instead: we spent 3 days in vigil as our awesome boxer, Gracie, was dying. She was all we could think about, yet I’ve barely had time to grieve, as I wrote 14 hours straight to make Sunday deadlines. I’m still under the gun with one more due… and want little more than to catch my breath.

I’m not alone in balancing writing with teaching — it’s a common overlap. Nor am I alone in wrestling this competition for time. It’s great to have assignments due, but it’s sometimes heartless when you can’t stop for life’s bigger moments.

Watching for snow. c. Elissa Field

Our dog Grace has been an amazing family member. Condolences for her poured in on Facebook from people who know her from posts or from car lines at school when my kids were younger. Like other writers here, she was part of my work, too. How many of our days have we had a dog or cat keeping us company through long hours writing? How many times have we joked about all they do to steal attention from our drafts and keyboards? As well as I know writing, editing and agenting friends around the world, I remember the names and faces and stories about the dogs and cats who warm their days, and sad stories of their passing. They have our gratitude and love. So I can’t share this post without mentioning how deeply we feel her loss.

That said, this week’s Friday Links for Writers is full of some really great articles from this week. One gives brass tacks advice for formatting. Two are inspiration from poets for World Poetry Day. More: an international prize, campaigns to stop federal budgets that would upend the NEA and NEH, security advice for journalists from the CPJ… As always, share your thoughts in the comments to let us know how your writing week has gone, or to share your own best reads of the week. Have a great writing week, all.

These 10 tips are a great checklist for anyone getting a manuscript ready for an editor or full read. Brass tacks advice, from not double-spacing after periods to best formatting for paragraph indents.

In the face of Trump’s threatened budget cuts to arts, including the NEA and NEH, 13 writers share with Electric Lit how the NEA impacted their lives. Some really great stories, here, from Tayari Jonesand more.

The risks to the NEA and NEH were central to lots of messages around the web this week, with a push to call your representatives to resist eliminations of this programming.

Book love, these days, is not just a matter of what we read, but — for many of us — making an effort to advocate for marginalized voices. If you’ve ever wondered how these kinds of literary advocates get started, check out this interview with Glory Edim, the founder of Well-Read Black Girl.

I’ve followed the Committee to Protect Journalists in the (unfortunately) nearly 5 years since journalist Austin Ticewent missing in Syria. The CPJ is admirable in providing a voice and conduit for information related to persecution of journalists around the world. This link takes you to one of their survival guides — approaches recommended for journalists and photographers to keep safe while working in heated environments.

This blog post on Goodreadsrecognizes that most of us have appreciated articles with famous first or final lines from classics… But what about favorite books from recent years? Especially for writers revising with attention to those opening pages, these give an interesting cross section of opening lines.

Claire Fuller (author of Swimming Lessons) reflects on how readers leave their marks on books. Marks and a bit of wear and tear show a book was loved. But that’s nothing to the odd list of things librarians told Tin Housethat they’d found between pages.

I always like to end these lists with inspiration from one writer, and I really loved Peter Mishler’s interview with poet Airea D. Matthewson Lit Hub. Completely different entry point led to a series of her poetry: “For about a year, I set up a secondary text account and sent messages to an imagined Sexton, which I began to transcribe and edit into the Sexton Texts poems.” Great read.

I discovered Maggie Smithon Twitter almost a year ago when her poem “Good Bones” went viral in the aftermath of one of the many world hardships we all sought to understand. Here, a profile on Ohio State’s website, and a recording of Maggie reading the poem.

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